Getting your Church IT setup - The Microsoft Option

We've put together a series of articles that are hopefully just bullet point lists on exactly how you can begin to get your church IT setup to make things as easy as possible.

There's two main providers that make this easy - Microsoft and Google. Both offer charity rate subscriptions, so if you are a registered charity please do check out our articles here (for Google) or here (for Microsoft) before you spend out un-necessarily. As for why you might want a more professional setup for your church IT, check out our opinion article here.

With all that out the way, this is how to get setup with Microsoft 365:

1. Visit the Microsoft 365 Website:
   • Open a web browser and go to the Microsoft 365 website (https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365).
2. Select a Plan:
   • Explore the available plans and choose the one that best suits your small business needs. Microsoft offers various plans tailored for different business sizes and requirements.
3. Click "Buy Now" or "Start Free Trial":
   • Once you've selected a plan, click on the "Buy Now" button to proceed with purchasing a subscription, or choose "Start Free Trial" if you want to try Microsoft 365 before committing to a subscription.
4. Create a Microsoft Account (if necessary):
   • If you don't already have a Microsoft account, you'll need to create one. Click on the "Create a Microsoft account" link and follow the prompts to create a new account. Make sure to use a valid email address that you have access to.
5. Enter Business Information:
   • Fill out the required information about your small business, including the business name, location, industry, and number of employees.
6. Select a Domain Name:
   • Choose a domain name for your business email addresses. You can either use an existing domain that you already own or purchase a new domain through Microsoft.
7. Verify Domain Ownership:
   • If you're using an existing domain, you'll need to verify ownership. Follow the instructions provided by Microsoft to verify your domain, which may involve adding a TXT or MX record to your domain's DNS settings.
8. Enter Payment Information:
   • Provide payment information to complete the purchase of your Microsoft 365 subscription. You'll need to enter your credit card details or choose an alternative payment method.
9. Set Up Admin Account:
   • Create an administrator account for your Microsoft 365 subscription. This account will have access to the Microsoft 365 Admin Center, where you can manage users, settings, and billing.
10. Install Office Apps (Optional):
    • After completing the purchase, you'll have the option to download and install Office apps such as Word, Excel, and PowerPoint on your devices. Follow the prompts to download and install the apps if desired.
11. Add Users (Optional):
    • If you have employees or team members, you can add them as users to your Microsoft 365 subscription. Navigate to the Microsoft 365 Admin Center and follow the instructions to add users, assign licenses, and create email accounts for them.
12. Explore Additional Features:
    • Take some time to explore the additional features and services included in your Microsoft 365 subscription, such as OneDrive for file storage and sharing, Teams for collaboration, and Exchange Online for email management.

By following these step-by-step instructions, you can create an Office 365 account for your small business, empowering your team with powerful productivity tools and cloud-based services to enhance collaboration and efficiency.